October 1, 2015

Earlier this month we discussed Self-Mastery and how by resonating at a high frequency of energy (more on that coming soon!), we attract what we want into our lives with little or no effort.

What holds us back from living the lives we desire?

Some people attribute the lack of having what they want to fate – that their lives are somehow “meant to be” the way they are. Many people don’t like the concept of fate, however, because it negates free will. But what if neither the traditional concept of fate, nor free will, really existed for most people? I’ve been curious about these things all my life, and when I learned about Energy Leadership by Bruce Schneider, I realized that an unusual concept called self-fate helps explain why so many of us don’t have what we really want.

Self-fate is the idea that because our past is dominating our thought processes, and because most people are not consciously living in the moment, our past actually creates our future. Because we are making choices based on our past experiences, we cannot change our future unless the control of the past is removed, and we choose to live in the now. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know that living mindfully is one of actions I take regularly to help me stay out of the past and focus on making THIS MOMENT the most powerful and energetic it can be. You can find some of my mindfulness blogs here.

So self-fate really means that for most of us, it is us who create our fate because we are imprisoned by the past. We have pre-determined choices that we are programmed to make, and our past does the programming for us. Yikes! Living in the moment…living consciously is the first step to correcting this. In fact, in this powerful moment, you can consciously decide to direct your fate NOT by the past, but by your conscious choices (yes, as opposed to subconscious choices!).

Many of us know this woman, and some of may have been this woman (or man)…

Think about a woman who is unhappy with her relationships and says that she seems to meet the same kind of men over and over again. She complains that men are all the same, looking for the same thing. She believes that she’s never going to find a relationship that is mutually respectful and serving, as opposed to the relationships she’s had, where she’s been emotionally abused. It’s no wonder she feels this way, as she’s had many experiences that have created those beliefs. In fact, it’s quite normal that she believes what she does, which poses a real challenge – since she sees men as disrespectful, abusive and manipulating, she is putting out “victim” energy. She is being a victim to the beliefs she has. And what is the result of that? The vibration she emits is picked up by those whose energy matches those beliefs: men who take advantage of her. To them, she’s an easy target. And so, she actually creates her future relationships, and will continue to do so unless she changes her sense of self, or, who she is BEING, in relationships.

So while aspects of our lives may very well be pre-determined, let’s recognize that there are many things in our lives that we can control, and one of those is how aware we are of what from our past we are allowing to re-create itself in our present. Have you caught yourself saying, “Well, of course that’s going to happen!” Guess what? You just confirmed that it will continue to happen! Make sense?

Be mindful. Listen to what your thinking and saying for clues. Your fate is very well in your hands. How will you guide it?

In October, we’ll dive more into our energy, what that really means, and how it is one of the most powerful tools at our disposal to direct our self-fate, and our self-mastery.

September 16, 2015

I’ve noticed that people are still curious about what it means to “lead your life well.” Great question!! I love answering this question, because it is at the root of all I do at Life Well LED. In fact, it has everything to do with what I call personal leadership. What is a personal leadership? In short, it is directing your life in a way that allows you to “master” it. Mastery, of course can be defined in many ways; it is very personal. However, someone who has mastered their life is someone who resonates with success. Again…their personal definition of success. So, then, what can we say about a person who has achieved mastery? Well, we can definitely say that a “master” of their life is a person who’s mindset automatically attracts the right people, places, events, and opportunities, and the same mindset allows the person to jump all over those opportunities with gusto, and without fear or hesitation. Doesn’t that sound yummy!!??

I believe that while each of us can do many things well, there is really only one thing that we can truly master, and ironically, while it takes a lot of effort to become a master in what you do, there is no real effort necessary in the thing we can truly master, which is being who we are.

Each of us has a very unique makeup. That makeup, at its core, is perfect, and when we tap into our true core, our real gift to the world is revealed. When you share your true gift with the world, you can be considered a Self-Master; a person who, indeed, leads their life well!

Self-Mastery is made up of 3 parts:

Understanding that each of us has a unique gift offering to the world, and that such an offering comes when we are truly authentic.

Discovering (remembering) what exactly is our truly authentic self.

Sharing who we are with the world, in a way that only we can.

It’s not what you do that matters, nor as much how you do it. Mastery is about knowing who you really are, and how you express that in what you do.

So instead of trying to better yourself to finally be at a place of deservedness, why not relax, and instead look within to find that which you were really seeking?

Self-Mastery means living an abundant, fulfilled, and enjoyable life. It means feeling in control without having to control anything or anyone. As a master, it means you are at the cause, instead of the effect of your life.

Self-Mastery means resonating at a high frequency of energy, and attracting all we could ever want into our lives, and… with little or no effort. Isn’t this a great way to live?

Over the next few months, we’ll look at many things that get in the way of discovering and sharing our true selves. One by one, we’ll identify those obstacles, limitations, and challenges and reveal them for what they are… distractions that can be rendered powerless through awareness and Self-Mastery. We’ll look at meaningful and proactive ways you can transform and mold your world into all that you desire, to reveal your unlimited potential.

Are you with me? Let’s gain clarity over the next few months so we can continue to ROCK 2015 as we have intended to.

September 2, 2015

“When we were children, just the word SEPTEMBER meant the end of summer…school…being scheduled…things would change.

September taught us that life is change. This is a good lesson to learn and relearn.”

I couldn’t agree more! How about you? In fact, for me, September signifies a change in season. It’s one of Mother Nature’s ways of signaling to us that change is coming and we must adjust, yet again.

If you read my last blog about easing into back-to-school season with mind, body & soul awareness, then you may have avoided some of the tension surrounding that rush. I heeded my own advice, and it felt pretty good, actually. Back-to-school went off without a hitch. But now that we are a few weeks in, and September is here, do feel differently? Are your kids (and you!) already feeling the pressure? Have mind, body & soul awareness been kicked out the window?

Let me be honest…I’m huffing and puffing a bit, my shoulders are way tight, and I’m feeling the “Mommy” pressure build up BIG TIME! Why? On one end, it’s so easy to put on the Wonder Woman cape and want to “kill it” as a Mom and get it all done with ease. On the other end, I want to lock my self in my room, soak in the tub with a glass of wine, and forget it’s September! Feel me?

The Mommy Guilt creeps in when I realize that my kids’ stress is mounting as well. Their schedules (and mine!) are jam packed again, they’re feeling like they can’t get it all done, and, well, I want to fix it! I know you get me!

That’s right. No fixing going on here. In fact, I’m using this time to teach a life leadership skill that my kids (and yours too!) really need to learn now— RESILIENCY. It’s about understanding that things won’t always feel perfect, or even right, and we must persist, mistakes, faults and all. In fact, it’s in those moments that we have to keep our eye on the prize.What’s your prize? What’s their prize? If you haven’t defined what that is for this school year, now’s the time to define that vision together with your kids.

It just so happens that a few weeks ago I found a sheet of paper where my 16-year-old son had written down his 5 goals. I had to do a double take! I asked him if I could read them, and he said to me, “Mom, I read an article that said that the people who are most successful write down their goals.” I was floored, and so proud. See, he gets it. Yes, he’s stressed, he has so much to do in every moment of every day, but, ultimately, he’s got his eyes on the prize. If all I do is help to model resiliency for him, then I’ve done my job. Oh, and by the way, I also model being human!

My daughter (who’s 10) on the other hand, is missing summer tremendously and keeps reminiscing. I’m letting her hold on a bit longer. After all, her fantasies keep her energized, and I love her unique energy! Her prize is to have some down time before she goes to bed each night, so resiliency for her means getting things done by 9 pm (however she chooses to do so), so she’s got at least 30 minutes to chill. I can live with that, and I’ll watch her flow through it until it feels right.

As for me (and my hubby — a rock star Dad, who I’m sure feels equally frazzled!), I may just lock myself in my room for that soak! If that’s all I do, then, indeed, I’m giving my mind, body, and soul some much needed attention and rejuvenation it needs.

Has September brought you some change? How are you handling it? Do mind, body and soul practices help take the edge off?

August 18, 2015

This is a special blog for all the parents in our community!

In writing it I wanted to leverage all I’ve learned through my mindfulness practice, as well as my deep knowledge of nature’s elements that are inherent in us all and always at work (for or against us!). Wouldn’t it be great to approach this Back to School season with grace and ease?In fact, wouldn’t it be great to rise above the stress and gain energy, productivity, and peace? YES, it’s possible! Give this mind, body & soul approach a try and let me know how it goes!

Before we jump into the HOW, I would like to invite you to take this opportunity to shift your perspective about this time of year. Our intentions can truly drive how we feel, and ultimately, how we act. If, for example, you’re saying to yourself, “Oh no, not again! Here comes a hectic month of no sleep, awful traffic, stressed kids, and no time for me!” Well, the Universe is saying right back to you, “Your wish is my command!” Yikes!

Let’s make the shift now. Here’s how to do it with our mind, body and soul in the lead.

Mind Awareness

Preparing for the new school year can feel like having lots of erratic little fires all over the place! In nature, we can nurture these fires by adding wood to create a slow, steady burn. We can look at the element of wood as our Inner Warrior, who strategically calculates the next step, and the one thereafter, getting us to our final destination. Our warrior cares about getting things done effectively and successfully. When we have too many things to do (especially in our head, or on lots of sticky notes!) and we are scattered and un-organized, we need to bring in that warrior essence of strategy and organization. In doing so, we take small steps that allow us to remove the scatter and focus on what we are doing NOW – one moment at a time. Our Inner Warrior – when grounded and focused, helps us to be those awesome, on-task parents that we want to be during back-to-school season, not the freaky, burned-out ones!

If you’re feeling scattered, here’s a tip to put out all those fires:

Back to School Brain Dump! Let’s get all those to-do’s and “fires” out of your head and onto paper/into action!

Block off 30 minutes of quiet time. Take a blank sheet of paper and write down EVERYTHING that needs to get done by the first day of school, and for the first few weeks of school (heck…the first month!). There doesn’t need to be any organization at this point, just a list of items.

If the task needs to (ultimately) be completed by someone other than you (or in partnership with you), place and arrow with the person’s initial’s next to it. See my list here!

Put an asterisk next to those items that are the most critical and put those into your calendar as non-negotiable appointments now. Check out my calendar below! As you can see I use iCalendar to help me stay accountable to myself. It really helps to think of my to-do’s as appointments so I make room for them during my day. If you use another system that works for you, stick with that! Sometimes I’ll also create a task list (with check-off boxes) on my phone, which syncs with all my devices. Do what is best for you, but definitely make your list actionable and accountable.

By doing these three simple things, you’ll have calmed the many fires and created one slow, peaceful, productive burn!

Warriors also begin each day with powerful and focused intentions. Create an intention for yourself that you will focus on each morning for 5 or 10 minutes. You can do this while driving to work, while drinking your morning cup of coffee, or getting that first blast of morning sunshine as the birds rise and chirp away. You also can keep your intention with you (post it in your car, on your computer, etc.) during the day to remind you. My intention for this back to school season is: “I have all the time and energy I need to create an exciting back to school launch for my kids.” With this intention, these tasks now become less stressful and more enjoyable.

In doing this, you become the creator of your thoughts, and not the passenger going along for the ride, as Don Miguel Ruiz, author of The Four Agreements, would say.

Body Awareness

In nature, not only does wood help nurture the fire, but it also controls earth out of balance. We can look at earth as our “Mother” energy, which can give, give, give, and do, do, do —for others, while leaving herself depleted. So, in addition to bringing in our effective Inner Warrior, we also can use our earthy mother energy to “mother” ourselves too!

We can nourish our bodies by giving them healthy, satisfying food, and by energizing them. This is not the time to indulge in mindless eating — fast or junk food (which will actually drain your energy and rob you of the nutrients you’ll need to sustain you), but rely on foods that warm you and comfort you—like mom would make you! It can be as simple as having a nourishing bowl of oatmeal with raisins and nuts in the morning to get you going, and a cup of hot mint tea with honey at night. Perhaps your feel-good food is a green smoothie in the morning instead. That’s okay too! You know what your body needs to run effectively. Plan for that and make it happen.

Also, study after study shows that even 10 minutes of physical activity in the morning will jump start your metabolism and energize your mind, giving you that push of energy first thing in the AM to accomplish all of those to-do’s. Now, I say 10 minutes, because I know how mornings are with kids!! What I love to do right before I jump in the shower is a few reps of jumping jacks, squats, push ups, side and forward stretches, and sit-ups. If I can work in a walk later, great, but if not, I’ve done my body good in between 6 and 10 minutes. Just wake up 10 minutes earlier and get it done! Give your body permission to work for you and nourish you!

Soul Awareness

In nature, the element of water serves many purposes. It provides hydration, deep rest, and can help to suppress, or “water down” our tendency to do too much. It replenishes us and prepares us for the work ahead—our Inner Warrior work! We can consciously bring in this element by drinking enough water each day (a minimum of half of our body weight in ounces); taking relaxing baths or showers (or a dip in the beach!); reading; meditating (to the sound of the ocean, even better!); getting enough sleep, and YES, going with the flow! If something does not get done, even though we have planned effectively, we can consciously accept it and move on. Our souls can feel neglected when we are so focused on getting things done, so hydrate your soul by making time for at least 1-2 of these kinds of activities (for you and your kids!) each day during back to school season. My daughter and I love to have hot tea together each night, and then we’ll read a bit from her summer reading book. What does your soul need from you?

What I hope you’ve picked up on is that we should do our very best to create greater balance during this both exciting and stressful time each year. In approaching the season from the framework of care for our Mind, Body & Soul, we also are creating that balance for our children, who also may be experiencing the excitement and stress of going back to school, especially if it is a big transition for them (first time, middle to high school, new school, etc.). We also will be ensuring that we are not running on empty or reserves, but on a full tank — a tank of internal strength and stamina to launch the school year with invigoration.

“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t, you’re right!”— Henry Ford

August 12, 2015

If there is one thing I tell young people, it is to first find your passion and then make that your profession. Unfortunately they really don’t teach you this in school. If someone can meld their passion into their life’s work they have achieved the holy grail of happiness and well-being. I know this to be true because I have experienced both sides of this story. I had been in a sales position that was lucrative, but soulless and now I am in hot pursuit of becoming an industry leader in the world of scuba diving. I am the President and Founder of ScubaNation, the only TV show dedicated to the sport of recreational scuba diving. We made something from nothing, just a passion and a drive, and now we are closing out our 4th season on TV. We are a multi-platform media company with not only TV holdings, but radio, and social media as well.

This story starts back when I was 6 years old.

As a kid growing up in Boston, my Dad took me whale watching off the coast of New England. Humpback Whales are 45 feet long and weigh 60 tons, and they were the subjects we were after on this trip. We travelled well offshore to find these goliaths of the sea. It’s almost like stalking a predator, or like a long road trip to a far away destination. You simply don’t get on a boat and see whales; it’s an adventure! The air was cold, damp, and a heavy fog set in as we traversed the waves to Stellwagan Bank, the summer home for Humpback Whales. Here is where they feed and grow strong before they head south to Caribbean waters for the winter months. Anticipation to see the whales builds, but like fishing, patience is in order. I went out with high emotions and had my rain jacket on and binoculars in my hand the whole time. I wanted this! I needed this! Most people stayed inside the whale watching vessel but my Dad and I sat out on the bow of the ship, in the nasty elements, for that rare chance to see an animal that puts your significance in this universe in question.

And when the moment finally happened, a behemoth of the sea rose out of the ocean in a spectacular breach, then came crashing back to the sea creating massive waves. It left me speechless. My eyes popped out of my head, my jaw hit the ground. And I thought to myself, nothing will ever be the same, and that is a good thing. I was just 6 years old.

Fast forward to 1995 and fresh out of college from Florida State University, and real life is breathing down my neck.

I was in love, engaged to be married, and looking for work with a recruiter who was my fraternity brother. I was moving to Miami with a degree in Marine Biology, but realized I wanted money, and to start a family. I wasn’t sure how to make money and be what I was truly here to be. I was always pre-determined to film the underwater world and tell stories, like my hero, Jacques Cousteau. But life was going to put that on hold…for now.

So I did what every other working stiff does. I got a job I hated and sold payroll services to small businesses. I have a pretty good personality, so selling came naturally. I was good at it, made several President’s Club trips and was being compensated nicely. You would think that would be enough, but it wasn’t. I was miserable. I was dying inside. I self-medicated and was pretty hell-bent on self-destruction. Life as salesmen felt like a bottomless pit to hell. And it was a one-way ticket.

Life is miraculous and beautiful, and life can be defined by exact moments.

Like the exact moment I said, “That’s it. I’m going for it.” Sometimes that’s all it takes, the simple act of saying “screw it,” life is too short for regret, for not having the courage, or not trying for the fear of failing, sometimes you just have to commit to something. So with the blessing of my beautiful wife, the most important person in my life, I decided to go for it. I gave up the corporate world, gave up on 9-to-5 and jumped off the cliff to pursue my dream to tell the tales of the ocean like my hero did so long ago.

It’s funny…the minute you jump off that cliff…the minute you make a decision to pursue a new path in life, clues present themselves, doors open and opportunities arise. These little indicators represent signals that you are on the right path and that the decision of a lifetime that you made in an instant was SPOT ON, and nothing will hold you back!

Pursuing your passion is epic and glorious. It is messy and difficult too, but damn it, it’s your beautiful mess and you have complete control on making it right and making it work. Dreams are endless, boundless and they can be as big as your willingness to make them big. Did I ever think I would win an Emmy? Probably not. But when you mix passion with your life’s work, these things kind of just happen. So the night we won an Emmy was just another indicator that I was on the right path and making that decision to “go for it” was the right one.

So, no matter where you are in your life, I’d ask you to consider if you are living your passion, or beginning to walk toward it. Each moment we have is precious, and each moment offers us the opportunity to live more deeply in our passion and live a life with an abundance of well-being.

Take your epic journey. It just takes one bold step.

Quotes that I live by

“INSPIRATION MOVES ME BRIGHTLY” –Jerry Garcia

“When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself.” –Jacques Cousteau

Billy C. is the President, Founder, and Co-Host of ScubaNation, the only TV Show dedicated to the sport of recreational scuba diving. It airs on Fox’s Sun Sports every April to October and is currently in its 4th season. ScubaNation is fast-pace, fun and covers all things scuba. Together with ScubaNation Radio and social media channels, ScubaNation has become the voice for scuba divers worldwide.

Billy C. is Boston born and raised and has loved the ocean since childhood. He was inspired by Jacques Cousteau’s “Silent World” television program and decided at an early age that he too wanted to be an underwater explorer. Billy C. attended Florida State University to study Marine Biology and has earned an Emmy Award for his underwater cinematography. His goal is to bring the scuba diving , marine inhabitants, and the ocean’s unique stories to the masses so they can see the beauty and need for conservation of our underwater world.

August 12, 2015

This is my last Summer of Wellbeing blog, and I decided to just share a quick recap of my vacation in Montana, and some easy ways I practiced mindfulness with my family. Enjoy! And stay tuned for my husband’s wellbeing blog tomorrow!